Whistle whilst you work?

Get the cryptic clue?

PPPPPP IIIIII KKKKKKK EEEEEEE!!!

Yeah I was offered deal of the decade from Col at Fli/MTB Direct on a set of 2009 Pike 426s in silver and succumbed to the 20mm front fork. I've been avoiding this for 2 years, saying it wasn't necessary on a 5" bike blah blah blah heavy blah not enough travel blah expensive blah!!!
Having ridden the Genesis for Wideopen earlier this year I've been swayed by the big axled monster.

The Z1s have served me VERY well and remain a truly awesome fork that marked a change in the riding I did, and my confidence to push on hard - eclipsing anything I'd ridden previously. These will find a new home on my SantaCruz Chameleon and the cheap(ish) AM3s currently on that bike will be temporarily retired - for re-use on Cathy's bike in the near future.

So tonight is the last ride on the Z1s, a fitting place to end the journey, back where it all began in Macclesfield on Charity Lane.

Goodbye old friend, I'll see you soon...

Full face... a difference?

So amongst the scattered rain storms and dark clouds Jon and I headed out this evening for the usual Macclesfield Forest jaunt, this time with a difference...

Full face.

Yeah Jon's had his for a while, and during Stinky ownership Mr Warnock sported a nice little number (including bling goggles) but it's taken me a while.
Now yeah I got it to review for Wideopen, so it hasn't cost me a penny, but why else did I want to try one?

Well both Scott and Jon talked about a feeling of invunerability, invincible if you like... and with talk of a trip to France (or Spain) for a gravity orietated holiday in 2010 to celebrate my 30th it seemed a good warm up to ride local trails I know with one...

So I didn't really know what to expect to be honest. A nice fit, and it looks great too (IMHO), but would it change my riding?

Hard to say is the short answer...

Unlike Maxxis super tacky tyres, or 5:10s it doesn't change the handling or contact points so the bike and your speed feel the same, but somehow I wasn't as worried about being thrown off course and found myself looking further down the trail. So yeah a gentle but growing feeling of invunerability.
But what held me back really I think is the 130mm forks, which don't do quite enough to keep my confidence up when the going gets rough and loose.

So, as planned, a 20mm setup is on the cards for next year - to be bought this year.
Pikes? 140mm, stiff and highly rated, but with only a 10mm increase in front travel - or Lyrics with 115-160mm (similar to Jon's All Mountain 1s) to give a similar performance but with increased flexibility... or is 160mm front, 130mm a bad idea... I don't know.

All good.

BIRTHDAY 2009
We're riding somewhere local-ish on the 1st August. Keep an eye on your email but current favourite is Lee Quarry. We'll have to see I guess... followed by a BBQ at Casa Del Hiltano.

See you next week!

Macclesfield Forest 16/7/09

More toys on test...

Yet more goodies turning up in the Wideopen mail bag this week... a Madison jacket and Bell helmet.

For general arsing around riding in the UK it's sensible to have a decent jacket, and Madison are hoping to plug the gap with a range of really well priced and specc'd options for you to choose from.

We've just got a Trail jacket into review, which is a lightweight, waterproof, breathable shell - priced at just shy of £80 RRP.

Hopefully I won't have much chance to wear it this summer, so expect the first proper test later in the year... although with the UK who knows! I could be wearing it in August! First look in Issue 10 (in production at present).

Morning at Fli

Just spent a very pleasant morning visiting the guys at Fli Distribution in Glossop, just up the road, for a feature in Issue 10 of Wideopen. The place has a great vibe and buzz about things, and we finished off the coffee whilst perving over the latest Twenty6 goodies (my god the pedals are amazing) and had a sneak peak at the 2010 O’Neal gear (helmets, protection and riding gear) which looks pretty special.

Picked up a Skad helmet for longterm test in the mag as well - so keep your eyes peeled. It looks awesome and matches the Wideopen race jerseys!

On one...

Not literally - although we should have an On-one successor (Ragley) in our midst in a month or so via Wideopen (to join the Cotic Bfe I'll be running)...

No on-one from a riding view point.

A crazy man thinks he's in control of life, and his ride, but I like to think that I can react fast to what the trail throws at me... tonight Jon and I really enjoyed the short Macclesfield Forest blast. Charity Lane was immense - I somehow held Jon at bay despite being on the hardtail and him being the fastest rider in Macc at the moment! Awesome. Singletrack was fun. Despite some extra scoping it still needs some effort to link things up... but safer (although I did lose the front end on the flowy grassy descent).

Rock on.

France 2010? My 30th? Hardtails? VW Camper?

If you're up for joining Leo, Jon and I let me know!

A different kind of hardcore hardtail...

Newcomer Tom joined regulars Chris and I this week for the jaunt around Macclesfield Forest. Rocking up on a very light-weight frame, featherweight aero bladed wheels, skinny tyres and carbon forks he wasn't sure what to make of Chris and I with the fat tyres, big forks & brakes and armour! Scorching pace up the climb he was certainly making the most of the weight advantage.

The tables were turned on Charity Lane however... Chris and I anihilated it today - awesome. I was running a little more tyre pressure than normal and it really seemed to make a big difference to my confidence and I was pretty much 'on it' 95% of the way down. Great feeling, a big whoop and holla - despite some agrivated dog walker being rude despite me being polite and warning her of other riders behind me! The bottom berm is getting really rocky now, really tricky to get a good line through there so it's about easing off into the berm so you don't kill yourself.

Anyways on to the singletrack and a second ride, un-interupted, on the new stuff and it was ok - but needs a lot of scouting to become flowing. A good back up and more required to make the potential realised, a great flowing final descent but hard work in the middle.

I'm out again tomorrow with Jon - otherwise until next Thursday...

When I'm 64...

Ten years. Chris and I have known each other over 10 years and I can't recall us ever falling out. We've been riding together for 7 years - Chris was one of the other founding members of Fearingout...

So why am I talking bollocks? Well we were wondering whether we'd still be here in another 10 years! Hope so!

So after a promising turnout only Chris and I headed out tonight. After Martyn's excuses of bad weather and Tony leaving later it was actually quite nice to be just the two of us - we'd a really good chat on the climb and good chortles on Charity Lane which was surprisingly dry given all the rain in the past 7 days... fast and flowy.

We then re-visited the 'verge ride' - hell yeah. Remember the iconic snap of Scott on his Stinky pulling high out of this one? Well unfortunately you only have Chris and I to re-live the action - but I managed to get the bars turned a little. Tribute (and surprisingly good fun to just stop, chat, and mess about - just like the 'old days').

Onwards to the singletrack and we scoped out some new possibilities. Look forward to showing the trusted few what we've found. It looks really good fun and was great exploring in the woods. Taking it back to the roots - literally.

Cheese mode off - good ride, good laugh, good chat. Great weather, great company and great skills. See you next week!

Macclesfield Forest 11/6/09

September visit...

Word from Warnock:

"Hope to make it down for a Friday in Macc, Saturday ride, Sat night in Manc... not until September though, as I'm hitting 6+2 (i.e. 2 days off instead of 4) for 8 weeks of summer soon. Plan to absolutely reinstate myself around Macc Forest on the Commy!"

Good news - it'll be great to get out with him on 'home territory'.

Update from Jon:
"Hardtail choices narrowed down - test rides planned!
* Cotic BFe
* Cotic Soul
* Ragley BluePig

plus new brakes (possibly SLX on offer at CRC)."

The Cotic BFe should be a new longterm test for Wideopen this summer, and the Ragley is also on the cards. All definitely worth a look if you're struggling for inspiration one lunchtime.

A website also worth checking out is the 'Great Rock Blog' from fellow Peak Districters over towards Hebden Bridge (and the Singletrack crew!)

Also news just in... Mr Larking (formerly of this parish when we ran the FO team) is planning a summer visit! :)

Hopefully that little lot will pass some time before Thursday's ride... see you all out on the trails?

The latest rig in the Hilton household...

Elly's first bike arrived today - a German made PUKY. Awesome, dead light. Great build quality. I'm in trouble for choosing the red one over the pink one but I liked it better!

I won't tell you how much it was - suffice to say it's Elly's main birthday present! She's 2 in July. Time flies, but start them young.

Elly's new PUKY - 4/6/09

New bike syndrome hits Jon...

Yes you read it here first - Jon is seriously considering getting another bike/frame to replace his Sub-Zero. He wants more of an 'all rounder' - whatever that means. Apparently he feels the Sub-Zero is too much of a comprimise for longer rides and is too short...
I see a Cotic Bfe on the cards!!



Anyway just Jon and I tonight (although we know Chris tried to catch us - but I was on a time limit and couldn't wait - sorry matey!) and talk turned to new bikes (as mentioned). Nice weather, clouded over a little from the weekend which made the climbing bearable. Charity Lane was tinder dry and very quick. Some nice hard smooth sections appear in this weather and the only place Jon had an advantage on the full bouncer was through the rough chute where he could plough through and I picked a safer smoother line. Great fun!

Stopped on the singletrack to take some photos - I had the Panasonic with external flash - but unfortunately only the 16MB memory card - and the flash batteries died! Next time! Anyway we found a second track - though at present it leads no where - but, could it? Perhaps - a winter project.

Anyone fancy a weekend ride?

Macclesfield Forest 4/6/09